With temperatures reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 40 degrees Celsius), you could be forgiven for assuming that when Dirk Kuyt fell to his knees, following Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's goal from the spot to put the Dutch ahead, it was due to exhaustion.
Even when he pointed to the sky while on the ground, the easiest assumption to make was that he was using what little strength remained to plead with the heavens for mercy from what must have been insufferable heat stroke. After all, he had run for almost 11 kilometers in the sun, with a second-half position switch ensuring he got no respite from the glaring rays in the non-shaded section of the pitch (where even spectators wouldn't sit).
According to The Guardian, Kuyt's fall and point had nothing to do with tiredness or overheating. Sunday was the anniversary of his father's death.
Making matters even more poignant for the right winger turned left wing-back turned right wing-back, turned center forward, turned wing-back again was that the multi-positional match represented the 100th time he was capped for the Dutch. The often awkward, but always energetic Kuyt is only the seventh player to earn 100 caps with the Netherlands national team.
The heat. The emotions. The honor. The new position. The pressure. Any single element would've been enough for a lesser player to wilt, but Kuyt had all of it on his mind, and turned in one of the most impressive performances of this remarkable tournament.
He accumulated more touches than anyone else on the pitch, while creating a heat map for his locations that could easily be confused with the image of a five alarm fire. According to captain Robin van Persie, "I told him I am so proud of him and that he is an example for young and old."
Perhaps more telling than statistics or praise from teammates was that the 33-year-old Kuyt even managed to impress Johan Cruyff, whose compliments are normally reserved only for himself. The Guardian quotes the Dutch master as saying, "You’re blessed as a team when you have someone like him walking around. With Kuyt, you can, at a tactical level, go in all directions."
Indeed. Coach Louis van Gaal — much praised for his tactical brilliance with this Netherlands squad — is able to go in all directions because Kuyt is able to force his maximized effort anywhere.
It might not be graceful, but it's always inspiring. Under any conditions.
